After a month’s hiatus for the Royal London Cup, the County Championship sprang back into life for the first of three June rounds. At Old Trafford, against reigning champions Essex, Lancashire recovered from a stuttering 59 for 5, with Keaton Jennings, 19, and Haseeb Hameed, 5, both lunching on disappointment.
Lancs were saved by two batsmen of such contrasting styles that they would make an avant-garde knitting pattern. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, neat as a pin, lean and all angles and awkwardness at the crease; and Jordan Clark, looming hugely above him, chunky, and a clean, confident ball striker.
The pair had put on 131 for the sixth wicket when Chanderpaul missed a ball from Harmer and was bowled for 58; two balls later Harmer bowled Clark for 79, his highest score of the season. The tail continued wagging as Tom Bailey and Graham Onions and then Liam Parkinson took Lancashire close to 300. Simon Cook took 3 for 65.
In the top-of-the-table battle at Taunton, Matt Renshaw hit his third century of the season for Somerset against Nottinghamshire. He was supported by fifties from Tom Abell and Steve Davies.
Surrey captain Rory Burns made an unbeaten 109 against Hampshire in a rain-interrupted day at the Ageas Bowl. His second Championship century of the season came off 135 balls and on the day that he was again overlooked for an England’s Lions squad. Ben Foakes, who did win a place for the games against India A and West Indies A, made an unbeaten 68. There was further disappointment for Mark Stoneman, caught at slip for a two-ball duck and no wickets for Dale Steyn on his Championship debut for Hampshire.
Wickets tumbled in Division 2, except at Kent where a century for Sean Dickson, and 49 from Daniel Bell-Drummond, steered Kent to a strong position at Gloucestershire. At Edgbaston, top-of-the-table Warwickshire bowled out Glamorgan for 220; Josh Poysden took 5 for 29. In reply Warwickshire were 24 for 2 with Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott the not out batsmen.
Ricardo Vasconcelos made 49 at the County Ground as Northamptonshire were bowled out for 204. Zak Chappell took a career-best 6 for 44. In reply, Leicestershire were 64 for 3. At Chester-le-Street, Durham were dismissed for 96 by Derbyshire, the second time they’ve been bowled out for less than 100 this year.
Hit by injuries and still feeling the effect of financial sanctions, Durham gave Championship debuts to four players: Matt Salisbury, Josh Coughlin, Ryan Davies and Michael Jones, Duanne Olivier took 5 for 20 for Derbyshire, who themselves were 175 for 8 at the close.
Division One
Surrey 216-3 v Hampshire
Lancashire 297-9 v Essex
Somerset 307-7 v Nottinghamshire
Division Two
Durham 96 v Derbyshire 175-8
Kent 297-4 v Gloucestershire
Northamptonshire 204 v Leicestershire 64-3
Glamorgan 220 v Warwickshire 24-2
At the Riverside, it was not a day for batsmen, as 18 wickets fell. Durham, bowled out for 96, pegged Derbyshire back to 175-8, and it could have been worse for the visitors who recovered with a 40-run last stand between Tony Palladino and Alfie Gleadall.
It’s close of play at Northants, who fought back from being all out for 204, to have Leicestershire on the ropes at 64-3, though the visiting team did manage to see out the last four overs.
Stumps at Old Trafford, with Lancs 297/9 against Essex.
And Onions is out for 41, making Lancashire 281/9.
That Lancashire partnership between Onions and Bailey has reached a half century, with Onions’ eye in. The score is at 281/8 after 91 overs.
Somerset end day one against Notts at 307/7. Matt Renshaw’s 106 was the highlight with Tom Abell hitting 57 and Steve Davies not out on 59.
Lancashire have just two wickets left after Joe Mennie is trapped for LBW by Sam Cook with the score at 229/8, but have surged on in runs, thanks to Tom Bailey and Graham Onions and are 253/8.
Steve Davies has hit a 50 for Somerset, his 55th in first class cricket, and Somerset are 292/7 against Notts.
Simon Harmer has found some turn at Old Trafford and has bowled Chanderpaul for 58 and then Jordan Clark for 79. Lancs are 214-7 after 80 overs against Essex.
A very statty stat for someone out there: Today was the 22nd time that Durham have been bowled out for less than 100 and the second time this season. Of the 22, today’s 96 was the highest score. It was the fifth time Derbyshire have bowled out a side for less than 200 since 2000.
A lovely article on Rory Burns by County Blog super star Will McPherson in the Standard in which he quote the perennially overlooked, and overlooked for the Lions again today, Burns.
“I’m disappointed not to have got a call at some stage, at any level, be it the Under-12s or the Lions. You see some other names get called up and you think, ‘Hold on a minute…’”
No better answer than a hundred.
Surrey Cricket
(@surreycricket)? What a knock from the captain, @roryburns17 goes to yet another @CountyChamp century. ?
Surrey 193/3 (48.4 overs)
June 9, 2018
Hundreds for Burns and Dickson!
Tea scores – (which are a bit odd as everyone took tea at different times)
Division 1
Somerset v Nottinghamshire. Somerset 211 for 4 (Renshaw 106, Abell 38 not out)
Lancashire v Essex. Lancashire 158 for 5 (Chanderpaul 42 not out , Clark 62 not out; Porter 2 for 37, S cook 2 for 41)
Hampshire v Surrey. Surrey still playing…
Division 2
Warwickshire v Glamorgan. Glamorgan 171 for 5 (Morgan 36 not out, Lloyd 32 not out)
Northants v Leicestershire. Northants 195 for 7 (Vasconcelos 49; Chappell 5 for 38)
Gloucestershire v Kent. Kent 187 for 1 (Dickson 97 not out)
Durham v Derby. Durham 96 all out (Olivier 5-20, Viljoen 3 for 30). Derby 78 for 2.
And a hundred for Dickson! The second of the day – 206 balls, 11 fours. Well played.
Sean Dickson left on tenterhooks at Gloucester,97 not out at tea!
A mid-afternoon lethargy overtakes spectators, but Lancashire move on to 150, the last team to cross the barrier, apart from Durham who had a hitch en route. At the Rose Bowl, Burns closes in on 100, 11 short…
And at the Rosebowl, Surrey are putting the first few balls of the day behind them at 149 for 3. Burns, who missed out on the Lions squad, 89 not out; Foakes, who is in, 29 not out.
Surrey Cricket
(@surreycricket)? Here’s the moment Rory Burns went to his half century.
Surrey now 98 for 3 just before lunch.
June 9, 2018
And fifty for Jordan Clark. I saw him poke about at the Roses white-ball game for 23, but he has played beautifully here. Simple, solid hitting. 50 from 58 balls, eight fours and, together with Chanderpaul has taken Lancashire towards, if not the sunlit uplands, then the just shaded foothills. Lancs 141 for 5.
Interesting to read that England’s pace programme has been chopped – lots of mixed reviews of the programme from cricketers and others at county clubs. Some thought it unnecessarily fiddled with players actions, others that it was too theoretical, yet more raved about it. Zac Chappell, who has taken 5-35 against Northants today, was a member last winter.
And Renshaw is out after his third century in four Championship matches at Taunton. Not a bad replacement for Cameron Bancroft…
Somerset Cricket ?
(@SomersetCCC)OUT: Matt Renshaw is bowled by Carter for a sublime 106. Somerset 176/4#SOMvNOTTS
June 9, 2018
A fifty partnership here at OT off 90 balls – Chanderpaul 26, Clark 35. The sun’s out as Clark takes a wild swing at Bopara and Chanderpaul plays inside the line again.
Bell-drummond out for 49 as Kent’s progress is temporarily slowed at Gloucestershire; Durham all out for 96. Olivier 5-20. 12 runs for for the three debutants. Redemption later.
Durham CCC ?
(@DurhamCricket)Three caps. Welcome to the Durham family#ForTheNorth
June 9, 2018
Durham hanging on 93 for 9; Renshaw just 12 short of his hundred at Taunton. Glamorgan ralling 116 for 4, Morgan 22 not out, Cooke 28 not out.
Rain at the Rose Bowl and, oblivious to everything else, Kent’s opening stand moves to 118, 46 to Bell-Drummond, Dickson 69.
Wobbles at Taunton, Somerset 127 for 3, Carter 2-28 including Bartlett and Hildrith. Renshaw 75 not out.
Durham struggling to reach three figures – 83 for 8. Davies has gone for 2 and now Rimmington for 0. Olivier 4 for 17.
Jordan Clark has decided that while Chanderpaul hunkers down by attaching his feet to the grass seed beneath, he’ll play knock-about: 21 off 14 balls, 4 fours, a handsome crack to every one.
And as I write , Chanderpaul knocks Porter to the boundary to move on to 15 off 57 balls.
Here’s to you young Alfie Gleadall!
“O youth! The strenght of it, the faith of it, the imagination of it! (…) I think of her with pleasure, with affection, with regret – as you would think of some one dead you have loved. I shall never forget her…. Pass the bottle.”
Thank you Joseph Conrad who, it turns out, occasionally turned up at Canterbury cricket festival.
What a moment for @alfie_gleadall ?
His maiden first-class wicket and not a bad way to get it ??#WeAreDerbyshire#DURvDER
– Derbyshire CCC (@DerbyshireCCC) June 9, 2018
Derbyshire CCC
(@DerbyshireCCC)What a moment for @alfie_gleadall ?
His maiden first-class wicket and not a bad way to get it ??#WeAreDerbyshire#DURvDER
June 9, 2018
At Edgbaston a failure for Khawaja on his first outing for Glamorgan, lbw Barker 4. Glam 69 for 4.
And at Bristol, Kent move serenely towards three figures, with a fifty for Dickson. I don’t suppose anyone saw Aha at the Spitfire ground the other day?
And that’s the end of Vilas, who made a classy 47 in the Royal London Roses clash the other day, lbw to Simon Cook for 10. Lancs faltering at 59 for 5.
Lunchtime Scores:
Division 1
Somerset v Nottinghamshire. Somerset 80 for 1 (Renshaw 52 not out)
Lancashire v Essex. Lancashire 59 for 4 (Chanderpaul 8 not out, Vilas 10 not out; Porter 2 for 8)
Hampshire v Surrey. Surrey 105 for 3 (Burns 56 not out)
Division 2
Warwickshire v Glamorgan. Glamorgan 65 for 3 (Khawaja 4 not out)
Northants v Leicestershire. Northants 81 for 3 (Vasconcelos 24 not out; Chappell 2 for 19)
Gloucestershire v Kent. Kent 83 for 0 (Bell-Drummond 35, Dickson 47)
Durham v Derby. Durham 66 for 6 (Olivier 2-16, Viljoen 2 for 6)
Durham floundering in inexperience…
Durham CCC ?
(@DurhamCricket)Durham Championsip debuts for @Coughlin97, @mattsalisbury10 & @RyanDavies777
First-class debut for @mikejones04 #DURvDER #ForTheNorth
June 9, 2018
Ravioli-time at OT, lots of players warming up on the field, including Lee Hurt, a 24 year old from Oldham, back at Lancs after trying his luck with 6 other county second XIs – what cracking advert for tenacity. A good saucepan full of spectators line up to watch the groundstaff repaint the crease. At 59 for 4, Lancashire have made a bit of a hash of things, but against good bowling from the county championships. Lunchtime scores to follow
Khawaja off the mark at Sophia Gardens, Glamorgan 62 for 3. Northants 78 for 3 against Leicester, Zak Chappell 2-19. Kent off to the best start of the day : 74 for 0 with Sean Dickson 47 not out, Bell Drummond 33 not out. Durham, a recovery of sorts, 64 for 5 – Graham Clark 19 not out. Viljoen 2 for 6; Olivier 2 for 15.
Renshaw has the first 50 of the round (8×4) as Somerset bunker down against Notts, 78 for 1. Rory Burns not far behind, 47 not out, as Surrey recover from their disastrous start, and then stutter again as Ryan Patel falls for 34. 86-3
For those who haven’t seen Andrew Flintoff’s World Cup version of Rasputin…
andrew flintoff
(@flintoff11)?England’s got a goal machine!? Had a great time recording our own *unofficial* footie anthem with @rickontour and @BetStars’ Stars House Band. Listen to #RasputinRebooted in FULL and grab a chance at winning £100M on the #StarsChallenge
June 7, 2018
Manchester News MEN
(@MENnewsdesk)Does ANYONE have a good word for Freddie Flintoff and Ricky Wilson’s World Cup anthem?
June 8, 2018
- Glamorgan 59 for 2 against Warwickshire, and a possible treat at Sophia Gardens, as Usman Khawaja comes out to bat.
And, by the by, England women’s lowest score against South Africa is 143.
Oh Lancs, 40 for 4. Livingstone edges Cook to second slip for 11. Cook’s drop cost exactly 7 runs.
Not a great start for England’s women… 66 for 6 …. but follow every ball of the renaissance with Adam Collins and Rob Smyth on the guardian blog.
Richard V Isaacs
(@RVICricketStats)This is @englandcricket Women’s worst home start to an ODI since 2002 (16 July) against New Zealand at The Racecourse ground in Durham, when England were 53-6 #EngWomenvSAWomen
June 9, 2018
Hameed’s championship average goes down from 5.83 to 5.71.
This was the queue at Taunton this morning – those who are already tucked into their seats have seen another flyer by Matt Renshaw – 5 fours so far in his 25.
Robin
(@mrd1376)@SomersetCCC Must be the first day of another Championship game at Taunton – and the que is growing!! #WeAreSomerset
June 9, 2018
Robin
(@mrd1376)@SomersetCCC Must be the first day of another Championship game at Taunton – and the que is growing!! #WeAreSomerset
June 9, 2018
Hameed went to a super flying catch by Wheater.
Oops and Cook’s just put down Livingstone at third slip, a sharp chance that he couldn’t grasp. Lancs 34 for 3.
And Durham continuing their royal London form rather than their late championship form, 26 for 3 – Olivier 2-15. And another one down at OT as Hameed trudges, as much as anyone that slight can trudge, off head bowed after nudging behind for 5.
Been a bit distracted watching Porter, perhaps unlucky not to be in the Lions squad, bowl. He’s strong, barrel chested and as I tewri has just taken a wicket, Jennings, who’d looked in fine nick, caught by Lawrence at slip. Lancashire 26 for 2.
And Northants stumble, 22 for 1, Duckett out for 14.
That lions squad in full: Squad: Nick Gubbins (Middlesex), Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Yorkshire), Sam Hain (Warwickshire), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Steven Mullaney (Nottinghamshire, captain), Ben Foakes (Surrey, wk), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Craig Overton (Somerset), Matthew Parkinson (Lancashire), Matthew Fisher (Yorkshire), Reece Topley (Hampshire), Tom Helm (Middlesex)
Mullaney will captain a side that is a mix of youthful potential and experience. Lancashire will lose Parkinson and Livingstone and Surrey Gubbins and Foakes from the next two county games.
When today was full of hope for Stoneman.
Surrey Cricket
(@surreycricket)? We are underway here at the Ageas Bowl, Stoneman and Burns opening up as usual for us. #HAMvSUR
June 9, 2018
And Surrey are having a shocker against Hampshire, currently 2 for 2. Scott Borthwick run out by Taylor for 0 and alas, poor Stoneman, back in the pavilion for a duck, caught at second slip off Edwards.
My brain’s having a go slow this morning, but I’m not the only one. Lancashire lose an early wicket: Davies c Harmer b Porter for 2 which brings Hameed out to bat with his teammate, rival and man in position at the top of the England order, Keaton Jennings.
Hello! Lovely to be back for the first of a mid-summer three-course snack of county fixtures to keep us going until the days start turning and the swifts have left for warmer climes. There are three games in Division one, four in Division two and much to mull over after the one month break for Royal London games, the low-high Test series against Pakistan, and the just announced Lions squad to play India A and West Indies A.
At Old Trafford, Lancashire take on Essex, hoping to get revenge for narrow defeat at Chelmsford in April, with the new England opening team, Keaton Jennings and Alastair Cook in different dressing rooms. Cook has a chance to bed in, available for all Essex’s matches in June, while Lancashire have to do without the tattered and torn Jimmy Anderson. Jos Buttler is away with the one-day squad. Lancs claimed their first win of the season at Nottinghamshire before the one-day break, and are now within five points of fourth-placed Essex.
At Taunton Somerset play Nottinghamshire, first v second and queues at the gate this morning. Notts went into the Royal London break with a seven-point lead at the top, but have played a game more than Somerset , and lost to Lancashire in their last match. They have lost Jake Ball, who joins Alex Hales in England’s one-day squad, while Stuart Broad is unavailable – again showing the different demands put on batsmen and bowlers. Nottinghamshire don’t have a great record at Taunton, with six draws and 10 defeats since their last Championship win there in 1985. Somerset are troubled by injury, still missing Marcus Trescothick and Jack Leach although Dom Bess is back from England duty sprightly as ever, and captain Tom Abell hopes to play
At Southampton, South Africa new-ball partners Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel find themselves on different sides as they make their Championship debuts for Hampshire and Surrey respectively. More South Africans too, Dean Elgar for Surrey, and Kyle Abbott hoping to return from injury for Hampshire, but the season’s leading run-scorer – Hashim Amla, 492 runs -has returned to South Africa with a knee injury. The only other two batsmen to have passed 400 Championship runs this season, James Vince (428) and Ollie Pope (427), also play while Sam Curran is back for Surrey after his Test debut. Mark Stoneman has a chance to show the selectors what they’re missing and there are hopes that Mason Crane could make his first Championship appearance of the season for Hampshire.
Division Two
At Edgbaston, Warwickshire play Glamorgan – Usman Khawaja has replaced Shaun Marsh as Glamorgan’s overseas player for a tough trip to face the Championship leaders, 15 points clear.
Gloucestershire v Kent – Kent have climbed to second with three consecutive wins since stalling in the chilly early stages of the season. Matt Henry has been the standout bowler, with 37 wickets at 9.59. Sam Billings is away with England, so Joe Denly resumes the captaincy, and Adam Rouse, Harry Podmore and Ivan Thomas could all return. Gloucestershire have slipped to seventh with a loss and two draws since that bright opening.
At the Riverside, Durham entertain Derbyshire, hoping for a cheer-up after a tricky Royal London campaign. But they’re depleted, Michael Richardson and Paul Collingwood are carrying injuries, Barry McCarthy and Stuart Poynter are on T20 duty with Ireland, Mark Wood is with England, and Ben Stokes is also injured off. Derbyshire are fourth in the table but have lost Luis Reece with a broken metatarsal – and Gary Wilson is also on Ireland duty.
At the County Ground, Northamptonshire play a different looking Leicestershire who have a new captain since winning their last Championship match, with Paul Horton taking over from Michael Carberry. Mohammad Abbas, superb for Pakistan against England, returns. Northants with three defeats out of four leaving them 20 points adrift at the bottom of the table, need to conjure something up, fast.
